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Episode 506: Brooke Shields
Brooke stars as Alice in the Muppet production of Alice in Wonderland. The onstage zaniness can't match the usual backstage chaos -- Fozzie thinks he's going to play the Tin Woodman, and Miss Piggy (scheduled to play the Queen of Hearts) is hoping to take over as Alice. Bunsen's special effects make Brooke too tall to leave her dressing room -- and then shrink her so small that no one can find her. Piggy, still hoping for the lead, tries to "accidentally" step on Brooke. Finally, Gonzo as the Mad Hatter heads the Mad Tea Party, which ends with a rousing chorus of "We're Off to See the Wizard." Songs/Sketches * "Falling Song" * The caterpillar scene. * "These Are the Yolks, Folks" * UK Spot: "When You're Smiling Medley" * "Jabberwocky" * The trial scene features Marvin Suggs as the judge. He swears in Kermit: "Repeat after me: Ow." * The Mad Tea Party; "We're Off to See the Wizard" Episode Notes *This episode's format -- an adaptation of a classic book with a guest star as the lead and the Muppets playing supporting characters -- anticipates the later features The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. *The full roster of Muppets and their Lewis Carroll roles in this episode are: Miss Piggy as the Queen of Hearts, Link Hogthrob as the King of Hearts, The Great Gonzo as the Mad Hatter, Dr. Teeth as the Cheshire Cat, Floyd Pepper as the Caterpillar, Scooter as the young man in "Jabberwocky", Rowlf as his father, Statler and Waldorf as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, a chicken as the Dormouse, Marvin Suggs as the Judge, and assorted Whatnots as the cards. Fozzie, of course, is the Tin Woodsman from The Wizard of Oz, with Rizzo the Rat as the Wizard for the finale. *Special Wonderland puppets, apparently built specifically for the episode, include the White Rabbit, March Hare, Jabberwock and related creatures, Humpty Dumpty and the Duchess, all of which are based on the original illustrations by John Tenniel. *Due to child labor laws limiting the amount of time that Shields could spend on the set, she spent her spare time in the Muppet Workshop, where she helped build some of the puppets for the Jabberwocky sketch. *It should be noted that several characters and sequences come not from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland but from the sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. These include Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Humpty Dumpty and the Jabberwocky. **Notable in the "Jabberwocky" sketch is that the characters used such as the Slivy Toves, Borogroves and Mome Raths are exactly as explained by Carroll via Humpty Dumpty. *Malcolm Stone's recreation of the look of John Tenniel's Alice in Wonderland illustrations as backdrops for this episode garnered him the second of two Emmy Award nominations. *At only 14 years old, Brooke Shields was the youngest guest star in the series' history. Cast Muppets: :Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Scooter, Rowlf the Dog, Statler and Waldorf, Pops, The White Rabbit, Jar of Orange Marmalade, Link Hogthrob, Gills Brothers, Flamingo, Dr. Teeth, Humpty Dumpty, Floyd Pepper, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Slithy Toves, Borogoves, Mome Raths, Jabberwock, Marvin Suggs, The March Hare, Chicken, Rizzo the Rat Background Muppets: :Doris, Alfonso D'Bruzzo, Gaffer, The Duchess, Whatnots, Old Skyball Paint, Prairie Dog, Lobster, Eric the Parrot, Lizard, Snake, Weasel, The Devil Performers :Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Dr. Teeth, Waldorf, Rowlf and Link Hogthrob :Frank Oz as Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Marvin Suggs and a Slithy Tove :Jerry Nelson as Floyd Pepper, Pops, Humpty Dumpty, Dormouse/Chicken and a Mome Rath :Richard Hunt as Scooter, Statler and the March Hare :Dave Goelz as Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and the Jabberwock :Steve Whitmire as the White Rabbit, Rizzo the Rat and a Borogove :Kathy Mullen as the Duchess :Louise Gold as Others :Betsy Baytos as Others Gallery Image:Brooke_Shields12.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields05.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields15.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields03.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields08.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields10.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields04.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields06.jpg Image:Brookeshields.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields13.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields01.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields09.jpg Image:Brooke Shields 03.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields02.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields11.jpg Image:Brooke_Shields07.jpg __NOWYSIWYG__ 506